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IFRS pocket guide 2012

IFRS pocket guide
2012
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Introduction
Introduction
This pocket guide provides a summary of the recognition and measurement

requirements of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) issued up
to August 2011. It does not address in detail the disclosure requirements; these
can be found in the PwC publication ‘IFRS disclosure checklist 2012’.
The information in this guide is arranged in six sections:

• Accounting principles.
• Income statement and related notes.
• Balance sheet and related notes.
• Consolidated and separate financial statements.
• Other subjects.
• Industry-specific topics.
More detailed guidance and information on these topics can be found in the
‘IFRS manual of accounting 2013’ and other PwC publications. A list of PwC’s
IFRS publications is provided on the inside front and back covers.
IFRS pocket guide 2012

Contents
Contents
Accounting rules and principles 1
1. Introduction 1
2. Accounting principles and applicability of IFRS 1
3. First-time adoption of IFRS – IFRS 1 2
4. Presentation of financial statements – IAS 1 3
5. Accounting policies, accounting estimates and errors – IAS 8 7
6. Financial instruments – IFRS 9, IFRS 7, IAS 32, IAS 39, IFRIC 19 8
7. Foreign currencies – IAS 21, IAS 29 18
8. Insurance contracts – IFRS 4 19
9. Revenue – IAS 18, IAS 11, IAS 20 20
10. Segment reporting – IFRS 8 23
11. Employee benefits – IAS 19 23
12. Share-based payment – IFRS 2 26
13. Taxation – IAS 12 27
14. Earnings per share – IAS 33 29
Balance sheet and related notes 30

15. Intangible assets – IAS 38 30
16. Property, plant and equipment – IAS 16 31
17. Investment property – IAS 40 32
18. Impairment of assets – IAS 36 33
19. Lease accounting – IAS 17 34
20. Inventories – IAS 2 35
21. Provisions and contingences – IAS 37 36
22. Events after the reporting period and financial commitments – IAS 10 38
23. Share capital and reserves 39
i IFRS pocket guide 2012

Contents
Consolidated and separate financial statements 41
24. Consolidated and separate financial statements – IAS 27 41

24A. Consolidated financial statements – IFRS 10 42
25. Business combinations – IFRS 3 44
26. Disposals of subsidiaries, businesses and non-current assets – IFRS 5 46
27. Equity accounting – IAS 28 48
28. Interests in joint ventures – IAS 31 49
28A. Joint arrangements – IFRS 11 50
Other subjects 51
29. Related-party disclosures – IAS 24 51

30. Cash flow statements – IAS 7 52
31. Interim reports – IAS 34 53
32. Service concession arrangements – SIC 29, IFRIC 12 54
33. Retirement benefit plans – IAS 26 55
34. Fair value measurement – IFRS 13 56
Industry-specific topics 57
35. Agriculture – IAS 41 57

36. Extractive industries – IFRS 6, IFRIC 20 58
Index by standards and interpretation 61
IFRS pocket guide 2012 ii

Accounting rules and principles
1 Introduction
There have been major changes in financial reporting in recent years. Most
obvious is the continuing adoption of IFRS worldwide. Many territories have
been using IFRS for some years, and more are planning to come on stream
from 2012. For the latest information on countries’ transition to IFRS, visit
pwc.com/usifrs and see ‘Interactive IFRS adoption by country map’.
An important recent development is the extent to which IFRS is affected by

politics. The issues with Greek debt, the problems in the banking sector and
the attempts of politicians to resolve these questions have resulted in
pressure on standard-setters to amend their standards, primarily those on
financial instruments. This pressure is unlikely to disappear, at least in the
short term. The IASB is working hard to respond to this; we can therefore
expect a continued stream of changes to the standards in the next few months
and years.
2 Accounting principles and applicability of IFRS
The IASB has the authority to set IFRSs and to approve interpretations of
those standards.
IFRSs are intended to be applied by profit-orientated entities. These entities’

financial statements give information about performance, position and cash
flow that is useful to a range of users in making financial decisions. These
users include shareholders, creditors, employees and the general public. A
complete set of financial statements includes a:
• balance sheet (statement of financial position);
• statement of comprehensive income;
• statement of cash flows;
• a description of accounting policies; and
• notes to the financial statements.
The concepts underlying accounting practices under IFRS are set out in the
IASB’s ‘Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting’ issued in September
2010 (the Framework).
1 IFRS pocket guide 2012

3 First-time adoption of IFRS – IFRS 1
An entity moving from national GAAP to IFRS should apply the requirements
of IFRS 1. It applies to an entity’s first IFRS financial statements and the
interim reports presented under IAS 34, ‘Interim financial reporting’, that
are part of that period. It also applies to entities under ‘repeated first-time
application’. The basic requirement is for full retrospective application of all
IFRSs effective at the reporting date. However, there are a number of
optional exemptions and mandatory exceptions to the requirement for
retrospective application.
The exemptions cover standards for which the IASB considers that
retrospective application could prove too difficult or could result in a cost
likely to exceed any benefits to users. The exemptions are optional. Any, all
or none of the exemptions may be applied. The optional exemptions relate to:
• business combinations;
• deemed cost;
• employee benefits;
• cumulative translation differences;
• compound financial instruments;
• assets and liabilities of subsidiaries, associates and joint ventures;
• designation of previously recognised financial instruments;
• share-based payment transactions;
• fair value measurement of financial assets or financial liabilities at initial
recognition;
• insurance contracts;
• decommissioning liabilities included in the cost of property, plant and
equipment;
• leases;
• service concession arrangements;
• borrowing costs;
• investments in subsidiaries, jointly controlled entities and associates;
• transfers of assets from customer;
• extinguishing financial liabilities with equity instruments;
• severe hyperinflation;
• joint arrangements; and
• stripping costs.
IFRS pocket guide 2012 2

The exceptions cover areas in which retrospective application of the IFRS

requirements is considered inappropriate. The following exceptions are
mandatory, not optional:
• hedge accounting;
• derecognition of financial assets and liabilities;
• estimates;
• non-controlling interests;
• classification and measurement of financial assets;
• embedded derivatives; and
• government loans.
Comparative information is prepared and presented on the basis of IFRS.

Almost all adjustments arising from the first-time application of IFRS are
against opening retained earnings of the first period that is presented on an
IFRS basis.
Certain reconciliations from previous GAAP to IFRS are also required.
4 Presentation of financial statements – IAS 1
The objective of financial statements is to provide information that is useful

in making economic decisions. IAS 1’s objective is to ensure comparability
of presentation of that information with the entity’s financial statements of
previous periods and with the financial statements of other entities.
Financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis unless

management intends either to liquidate the entity or to cease trading, or
has no realistic alternative but to do so. Management prepares its
financial statements, except for cash flow information, under the accrual
basis of accounting.
There is no prescribed format for the financial statements. However, there

are minimum disclosures to be made in the primary statements and the
notes. The implementation guidance to IAS 1 contains illustrative examples
of acceptable formats.
Financial statements disclose corresponding information for the preceding

period (comparatives) unless a standard or interpretation permits or
requires otherwise.

Statement of financial position (balance sheet)
The statement of financial position presents an entity’s financial position at a

specific point in time. Subject to meeting certain minimum presentation and
disclosure requirements, management may use its judgement regarding the
form of presentation, such as whether to use a vertical or a horizontal format,
which sub-classifications to present and which information to disclose in the
primary statement or in the notes.
The following items, as a minimum, are presented on the balance sheet:

• Assets – property, plant and equipment; investment property; intangible
assets; financial assets; investments accounted for using the equity
method; biological assets; deferred tax assets; current tax assets;
inventories; trade and other receivables; and cash and cash equivalents.
• Equity – issued capital and reserves attributable to the parent’s owners;
and non-controlling interest.
• Liabilities – deferred tax liabilities; current tax liabilities; financial
liabilities; provisions; and trade and other payables.
• Assets and liabilities held for sale – the total of assets classified as held
for sale and assets included in disposal groups classified as held for sale;
and liabilities included in disposal groups classified as held for sale in
accordance with IFRS 5, ‘Non-current assets held for sale and
discontinued operations’.
Current and non-current assets and current and non-current liabilities are
presented as separate classifications in the statement unless presentation based
on liquidity provides information that is reliable and more relevant.
Statement of comprehensive income
The statement of comprehensive income presents an entity’s performance

over a specific period. Entities have a choice of presenting this in a single
statement or as two statements. The statement of comprehensive income
under the single-statement approach includes all items of income and
expense and includes each component of other comprehensive income.
Under the two- statement approach, all components of profit or loss are
presented in an income statement, followed immediately by a statement of
comprehensive income. This begins with the total profit or loss for the period,
displays all components of other comprehensive income and ends with total
comprehensive income for the period.

Items to be presented in statement of comprehensive income
The following items, as a minimum, are presented in the statement of

comprehensive income:
• revenue;
• finance costs;
• share of the profit or loss of associates and joint ventures accounted for
using the equity method;
• tax expense;
• post-tax profit or loss of discontinued operations aggregated, with any
post-tax gain or loss recognised on the measurement to fair value less
costs to sell (or on the disposal) of the assets or disposal group(s)
constituting the discontinued operation;
• profit or loss for the period;
• each component of other comprehensive income classified by nature;
• share of the other comprehensive income of associates and joint ventures
accounted for using the equity method; and
• total comprehensive income.
Profit or loss for the period and total comprehensive income are allocated in
the statement of comprehensive income to the amounts attributable to non-
controlling interest and to the parent’s owners.
Additional line items and sub-headings are presented in this statement

when such presentation is relevant to an understanding of the entity’s
financial performance.
Material items
The nature and amount of items of income and expense are disclosed
separately, where they are material. Disclosure may be in the statement or in
the notes. Such income/expenses might include restructuring costs; write-
downs of inventories or property, plant and equipment; litigation settlements;
and gains or losses on disposals of non-current assets.
Other comprehensive income
An entity presents each component of other comprehensive income in the

statement either (a) net of its related tax effects, or (b) before its related tax
effects, with the aggregate tax effect of these components shown separately.

The IASB issued ‘Presentation of items of other comprehensive income

(Amendments to IAS 1)’ in June 2011. This requires items of other
comprehensive income to be grouped into those that will be reclassified
subsequently to profit or loss and those that will not be reclassified. The
amendment is effective for annual periods beginning on or after 1 July 2012.
Statement of changes in equity
The following items are presented in the statement of changes in equity:

• total comprehensive income for the period, showing separately the total
amounts attributable to the parent’s owners and to non- controlling
interest;
• for each component of equity, the effects of retrospective application or
retrospective restatement recognised in accordance with IAS 8,‘ Accounting
policies, changes in accounting estimates, and errors’; and
• for each component of equity, a reconciliation between the carrying
amount at the beginning and the end of the period, separately disclosing
changes resulting from:
• profit or loss;
• other comprehensive income; and
• transactions with owners in their capacity as owners, showing
separately contributions by and distributions to owners and changes in
ownership interests in subsidiaries that do not result in a loss of control.
Statement of cash flows
Cash flow statements are addressed in Section 30 dealing with the

requirements of IAS 7.
Notes to the financial statements
The notes are an integral part of the financial statements. Notes provide
information additional to the amounts disclosed in the ‘primary’
statements. They include accounting policies and critical accounting
estimates and judgements.

5 Accounting policies, accounting estimates and errors – IAS 8
An entity follows the accounting policies required by IFRS that are relevant
to the particular circumstances of the entity. However, for some situations,
standards offer a choice; there are other situations where no guidance is
given by IFRSs. In these situations, management should select appropriate
accounting policies.
Management uses its judgement in developing and applying an accounting

policy that results in information that is relevant and reliable. Reliable
information demonstrates the following qualities: faithful representation,
substance over form, neutrality, prudence and completeness. If there is no
IFRS standard or interpretation that is specifically applicable, management
should consider the applicability of the requirements in IFRS on similar and
related issues, and then the definitions, recognition criteria and measurement
concepts for assets, liabilities, income and expenses in the Framework.
Management may also consider the most recent pronouncements of other
standard-setting bodies, other accounting literature and accepted industry
practices, where these do not conflict with IFRS.
Accounting policies should be applied consistently to similar transactions

and events.
Changes in accounting policies
Changes in accounting policies made on adoption of a new standard are

accounted for in accordance with the transition provisions (if any) within
that standard. If specific transition provisions do not exist, a change in policy
(whether required or voluntary) is accounted for retrospectively (that is, by
restating all comparative figures presented) unless this is impracticable.
Issue of new/revised standards not yet effective
Standards are normally published in advance of the required implementation

date. In the intervening period, where a new/revised standard that is relevant
to an entity has been issued but is not yet effective, management discloses this
fact. It also provides the known or reasonably estimable information relevant
to assessing the impact that the application of the standard might have on the
entity’s financial statements in the period of initial recognition.

Changes in accounting estimates
An entity recognises prospectively changes in accounting estimates by including

the effects in profit or loss in the period that is affected (the period of the
change and future periods), except if the change in estimate gives rise
to changes in assets, liabilities or equity. In this case, it is recognised by
adjusting the carrying amount of the related asset, liability or equity in the
period of the change.
Errors
Errors may arise from mistakes and oversights or misinterpretation of

information. Errors that are discovered in a subsequent period are prior-period
errors. Material prior-period errors are adjusted retrospectively (that is, by
restating comparative figures) unless this is impracticable.
6 Financial instruments – IAS 32, IAS 39, IFRS 7, IFRS 9, IFRIC 19
Objectives and scope
Financial instruments are addressed in these standards:

• IAS 32, ‘Financial instruments: Presentation’, which deals with
distinguishing debt from equity and with netting;
• IAS 39, ‘Financial instruments: Recognition and measurement;
• IFRS 7, ‘Financial instruments: Disclosure’; and
• IFRS 9, ‘Financial instruments’.
The objective of the standards is to establish requirements for all aspects of

accounting for financial instruments, including distinguishing debt from
equity, netting, recognition, derecognition, measurement, hedge accounting
and disclosure.
The standards’ scopes are broad. The standards cover all types of financial
instrument, including receivables, payables, investments in bonds and shares,
borrowings and derivatives. They also apply to certain contracts to buy or sell
non-financial assets (such as commodities) that can be net-settled in cash or
another financial instrument.

In November 2009, the IASB published the first part of its three-stage project
to replace IAS 39, in the form of a new standard IFRS 9. The IASB updated
IFRS 9 in October 2010 to include guidance on classification and measurement
of financial liabilities and on derecognition of financial instruments. This first
phase deals with the classification and measurement of financial assets and
financial liabilities.
In November 2011, the IASB decided to consider making limited modifications

to the requirements in IFRS 9 for classifying and measuring financial assets
to deal with specific application issues and the interaction with the insurance
project and to try to achieve convergence with proposals being developed by
the FASB. An exposure draft on these modifications is expected to be issued in
late 2012; these proposals are not therefore currently included within IFRS 9.
In December 2011, the Board amended IFRS 9 to defer the mandatory

effective date from 1 January 2013 to annual periods beginning on or after
1 January 2015. Early application of IFRS 9 will continue to be permitted.
IFRS 9 has not yet been endorsed for use in the EU. The Board also amended
the transition provisions to provide relief from restating comparative
information and introduced new disclosures to help users of financial
statements understand the effect of moving to the IFRS 9 classification and
measurement model.
IFRS 9 replaces the multiple classification and measurement models for

financial assets in IAS 39 with a single model that has only two classification
categories: amortised cost and fair value. Classification under IFRS 9 is driven
by the entity’s business model for managing the financial assets and the
contractual characteristics of the financial assets.
A financial asset is measured at amortised cost if two criteria are met:

• The objective of the business model is to hold the financial asset for the
collection of the contractual cash flows; and
• The contractual cash flows under the instrument solely represent payments
of principal and interest.
IFRS 9 removes the requirement to separate embedded derivatives from

financial asset hosts. It requires a hybrid contract to be classified in its entirety
at either amortised cost or fair value.

Two of the existing three fair value option criteria become obsolete under
IFRS 9, as a fair value driven business model requires fair value accounting,
and hybrid contracts are classified in their entirety at fair value. The remaining
fair value option condition in IAS 39 is carried forward to the new standard
– that is, management may still designate a financial asset as at fair value
through profit or loss on initial recognition if this significantly reduces an
accounting mismatch. The designation at fair value through profit or loss will
continue to be irrevocable.
IFRS 9 prohibits reclassifications except in rare circumstances when the entity’s

business model changes.
There is specific guidance for contractually linked instruments that create

concentrations of credit risk, which is often the case with investment tranches
in a securitisation.
IFRS 9’s classification principles indicate that all equity investments should
be measured at fair value. However, management has an option to present in
other comprehensive income (OCI) unrealised and realised fair value gains
and losses on equity investments that are not held for trading.
IFRS 9 removes the cost exemption for unquoted equities and derivatives on
unquoted equities but provides guidance on when cost may be an appropriate
estimate of fair value.
The classification and measurement of financial liabilities under IFRS 9

remains the same as in IAS 39, except where an entity has chosen to measure
a financial liability at fair value through profit or loss. For such liabilities,
changes in fair value related to changes in own credit risk are presented
separately in OCI.
Amounts in OCI relating to own credit are not recycled to the income
statement even when the liability is derecognised and the amounts are
realised. However, the standard does allow transfers within equity.
Entities are still required to separate derivatives embedded in financial

liabilities where they are not closely related to the host contract.

Nature and characteristics of financial instruments
Financial instruments include a wide range of assets and liabilities, such as

trade debtors, trade creditors, loans, finance lease receivables and derivatives.
They are recognised and measured according to IAS 39’s requirements and are
disclosed in accordance with IFRS 7.
Financial instruments represent contractual rights or obligations to receive or

pay cash or other financial assets. Non-financial items have a more indirect,
non-contractual relationship to future cash flows.
A financial asset is cash; a contractual right to receive cash or another financial

asset; a contractual right to exchange financial assets or liabilities with
another entity under conditions that are potentially favourable; or an equity
instrument of another entity.
A financial liability is a contractual obligation to deliver cash or another

financial asset; or to exchange financial instruments with another entity under
conditions that are potentially unfavourable.
An equity instrument is any contract that evidences a residual interest in the

entity’s assets after deducting all of its liabilities.
A derivative is a financial instrument that derives its value from an underlying

price or index; requires little or no initial net investment; and is settled at a
future date.
Embedded derivatives in host contracts
Some financial instruments and other contracts combine a derivative and

a non-derivative in a single contract. The derivative part of the contract is
referred to as an ‘embedded derivative’. Its effect is that some of the contract’s
cash flows vary in a similar way to a stand-alone derivative. For example, the
principal amount of a bond may vary with changes in a stock market index. In
this case, the embedded derivative is an equity derivative on the relevant stock
market index.
Embedded derivatives that are not ‘closely related’ to the rest of the contract
are separated and accounted for as stand-alone derivatives (that is, measured
at fair value, generally with changes in fair value recognised in profit or loss).
An embedded derivative is not ‘closely related’ if its economic characteristics

and risks are different from those of the rest of the contract. IAS 39 sets out
many examples to help determine when this test is (and is not) met.
Analysing contracts for potential embedded derivatives is one of the more

challenging aspects of IAS 39.
Classification of financial instruments
The way that financial instruments are classified under IAS 39 drives how
they are subsequently measured and where changes in measurement are
accounted for.
Under financial instruments accounting, prior to the impact of IFRS 9, there

are four classes of financial asset (under IAS 39): fair value through profit or
loss, held to maturity, loans and receivables and available for sale. The factors
to take into account when classifying financial assets include:
• Are the cash flows arising from the instrument fixed or determinable? Does
the instrument have a maturity date?
• Are the assets held for trading? Does management intend to hold the
instruments to maturity?
• Is the instrument a derivative, or does it contain an embedded derivative?
• Is the instrument quoted on an active market?
• Has management designated the instrument into a particular classification
at inception?
Financial liabilities are at fair value through profit or loss if they are
designated as such (subject to various conditions), if they are held for trading
or if they are derivatives (except for a derivative that is a financial guarantee
contract or a designated and effective hedging instrument). They are
otherwise classified as ‘other liabilities’.
Financial assets and liabilities are measured either at fair value or at amortised
cost, depending on their classification. Changes are taken to either the income
statement or to other comprehensive income.
Reclassification of financial assets from one category to another is permitted

under limited circumstances. Various disclosures are required where a
reclassification has been made. Derivatives and assets designated as ‘at fair
value through profit or loss’ under the fair value option are not eligible for
this reclassification.

Financial liabilities and equity
The classification of a financial instrument by the issuer as either a liability

(debt) or equity can have a significant impact on an entity’s gearing (debt-
to-equity ratio) and reported earnings. It could also affect the entity’s debt
covenants.
The critical feature of a liability is that under the terms of the instrument,
the issuer is or can be required to deliver either cash or another financial
asset to the holder; it cannot avoid this obligation. For example, a debenture,
under which the issuer is required to make interest payments and redeem the
debenture for cash, is a financial liability.
An instrument is classified as equity when it represents a residual interest in

the issuer’s assets after deducting all its liabilities; or, put another way, when
the issuer has no obligation under the terms of the instrument to deliver cash
or other financial assets to another entity. Ordinary shares or common stock
where all the payments are at the discretion of the issuer are examples of
equity of the issuer.
In addition, the following types of financial instrument are accounted for as

equity, provided they have particular features and meet specific conditions:
• puttable financial instruments (for example, some shares issued by co
operative entities and some partnership interests); and
• instruments or components of instruments that impose on the entity an
obligation to deliver to another party a pro rata share of the net assets of
the entity only on liquidation (for example, some shares issued by limited
life entities).
The classification of the financial instrument as either debt or equity is based

on the substance of the contractual arrangement of the instrument rather than
its legal form. This means, for example, that a redeemable preference share,
which is economically the same as a bond, is accounted for in the same way
as a bond. The redeemable preference share is therefore treated as a liability
rather than equity, even though legally it is a share of the issuer.
Other instruments may not be as straightforward. An analysis of the terms

of each instrument in the light of the detailed classification requirements is

necessary, particularly as some financial instruments contain both liability and

equity features. Such instruments, for example bonds that are convertible into
a fixed number of equity shares, are accounted for as separate liability and
equity (being the option to convert) components.
The treatment of interest, dividends, losses and gains in the income statement
follows the classification of the related instrument. If a preference share is
classified as a liability, its coupon is shown as interest (assuming that coupon
is not discretionary). However, the discretionary coupon on an instrument that
is treated as equity is shown as a distribution.
Recognition
Recognition issues for financial assets and financial liabilities tend to be

straightforward. An entity recognises a financial asset or a financial liability at
the time it becomes a party to a contract.
Derecognition
Derecognition is the term used for ceasing to recognise a financial asset or

financial liability on an entity’s balance sheet. These rules are more complex.
Assets
An entity that holds a financial asset may raise finance using the asset as
security for the finance, or as the primary source of cash flows from which
to repay the finance. The derecognition requirements of IAS 39 determine
whether the transaction is a sale of the financial assets (and therefore the
entity ceases to recognise the assets) or whether finance has been secured on
the assets (and the entity recognises a liability for any proceeds received). This
evaluation might be straightforward. For example, it is clear with little or no
analysis that a financial asset is derecognised in an unconditional transfer of it
to an unconsolidated third party, with no risks and rewards of the asset being
retained. Conversely, derecognition is not allowed where an asset has been
transferred but substantially all the risks and rewards of the asset have been
retained through the terms of the agreement. However, the analysis may be
more complex in other cases. Securitisation and debt factoring are examples
of more complex transactions where derecognition will need
careful consideration.

Liabilities
An entity may only cease to recognise (derecognise) a financial liability when

it is extinguished – that is, when the obligation is discharged, cancelled or
expired, or when the debtor is legally released from the liability by law or by
the creditor agreeing to such a release.
Measurement of financial assets and liabilities
All financial assets and financial liabilities are measured initially at fair value
under IAS 39 (plus transaction costs, for financial assets and liabilities not
at fair value through profit or loss). The fair value of a financial instrument
is normally the transaction price − that is, the amount of the consideration
given or received. However, in some circumstances, the transaction price may
not be indicative of fair value. In such a situation, an appropriate fair value
is determined using data from current observable transactions in the same
instrument or based on a valuation technique whose variables include only
data from observable markets.
The measurement of financial instruments after initial recognition depends

on their initial classification. All financial assets are subsequently measured
at fair value except for loans and receivables, held-to-maturity assets and,
in rare circumstances, unquoted equity instruments whose fair values
cannot be measured reliably, or derivatives linked to and that must be
settled by the delivery of such unquoted equity instruments that cannot be
measured reliably.
Loans and receivables and held-to-maturity investments are measured at

amortised cost. The amortised cost of a financial asset or financial liability is
measured using the ‘effective interest method’.
Available-for-sale financial assets are measured at fair value, with changes in

fair value recognised in other comprehensive income. For available-for-sale
debt securities, interest is recognised in income using the ‘effective interest
method’. Dividends on available-for-sale equity securities are recognised in
profit or loss as the holder becomes entitled to them.
Derivatives (including separated embedded derivatives) are measured at fair

value. All fair value gains and losses are recognised in profit or loss except
where they qualify as hedging instruments in cash flow hedges.

Financial liabilities are measured at amortised cost using the effective interest
method unless they are classified at fair value through profit or loss.
Financial assets and financial liabilities that are designated as hedged items
may require further adjustments under the hedge accounting requirements.
All financial assets are subject to review for impairment, except those measured
at fair value through profit or loss. Where there is objective evidence that
such a financial asset may be impaired, the impairment loss is calculated and
recognised in profit or loss.
Hedge accounting
‘Hedging’ is the process of using a financial instrument (usually a derivative)

to mitigate all or some of the risk of a hedged item. ‘Hedge accounting’
changes the timing of recognition of gains and losses on either the hedged
item or the hedging instrument so that both are recognised in profit or loss in
the same accounting period in order to record the economic substance of the
combination of the hedged item and instrument.
To qualify for hedge accounting, an entity must (a) formally designate

and document a hedge relationship between a qualifying hedging
instrument and a qualifying hedged item at the inception of the hedge; and
(b) both at inception and on an ongoing basis, demonstrate that the hedge
is highly effective.
There are three types of hedge relationship:

• fair value hedge – a hedge of the exposure to changes in the fair value
of a recognised asset or liability, or a firm commitment;
• cash flow hedge – a hedge of the exposure to variability in cash flows
of a recognised asset or liability, a firm commitment or a highly probable
forecast transaction; and
• net investment hedge – a hedge of the foreign currency risk on a net
investment in a foreign operation.
For a fair value hedge, the hedged item is adjusted for the gain or loss
attributable to the hedged risk. That element is included in the income
statement where it will offset the gain or loss on the hedging instrument.

For an effective cash flow hedge, gains and losses on the hedging instrument
are initially included in other comprehensive income. The amount included
in other comprehensive income is the lesser of the fair value of the hedging
instrument and hedge item. Where the hedging instrument has a fair value
greater than the hedged item, the excess is recorded within profit or loss
as ineffectiveness. Gains or losses deferred in other comprehensive income
are reclassified to profit or loss when the hedged item affects the income
statement. If the hedged item is the forecast acquisition of a non-financial
asset or liability, the entity may choose an accounting policy of adjusting the
carrying amount of the non-financial asset or liability for the hedging gain or
loss at acquisition, or leaving the hedging gains or losses deferred in equity
and reclassifying them to profit or loss when the hedged item affects profit
or loss.
Hedges of a net investment in a foreign operation are accounted for similarly

to cash flow hedges.
Disclosure
The presentation and disclosure requirements for financial instruments are

set out in IAS 1, IAS 32 and IFRS 7. IAS 1 requires management to present
its financial assets and financial liabilities as current or non-current. IAS 32
provides guidance on offsetting of financial assets and the financial liabilities.
Where certain conditions are satisfied, the financial asset and the financial
liability are presented on the balance sheet on a net basis.
IFRS 7 sets out disclosure requirements that are intended to enable users
to evaluate the significance of financial instruments for an entity’s financial
position and performance, and to understand the nature and extent of risks
arising from those financial instruments to which the entity is exposed.
These risks include credit risk, liquidity risk and market risk. It also requires
disclosure of a three-level hierarchy for fair value measurement and some
specific quantitative disclosures for financial instruments at the lowest level in
the hierarchy.
The disclosure requirements do not just apply to banks and financial

institutions. All entities that have financial instruments are affected – even
simple instruments such as borrowings, accounts payable and receivable, cash
and investments.

Financial liabilities with equity instruments − IFRIC 19
IFRIC 19, ‘Extinguishing financial liabilities with equity instruments’, clarifies

the accounting when an entity renegotiates the terms of its debt with the
result that the liability is extinguished by the debtor issuing its own equity
instruments to the creditor (referred to as a ‘debt for equity swap’). Before
IFRIC 19, some recognised the equity instrument at the carrying amount
of the financial liability and did not recognise any gain or loss in profit or
loss. Others recognised the equity instruments at the fair value of equity
instruments issued and recognised any difference between that amount and
the carrying amount of the financial liability in profit or loss. As a result, there
was diversity in practice in the accounting for such transactions and the issue
became more pervasive in light of the current economic environment.
IFRIC 19, which came into effect from annual periods beginning on or
after 1 July 2010, requires management to recognise a gain or loss in profit
or loss when a liability is settled through the issuance of the entity’s own
equity instruments. The amount of the gain or loss recognised in profit or
loss is the difference between the carrying value of the financial liability
and the fair value of the equity instruments issued. If the fair value of the
equity instruments cannot be reliably measured, the fair value of the existing
financial liability is used to measure the gain or loss. Management is no longer
permitted to reclassify the carrying value of the existing financial liability into
equity (with no gain or loss being recognised in profit or loss). The amount of
the gain or loss should be separately disclosed on the face of the statement of
comprehensive income or in the notes
7 Foreign currencies – IAS 21, IAS 29
Many entities do business with overseas suppliers or customers, or have

overseas operations. This gives rise to two main accounting issues:
• Some transactions (for example, those with overseas suppliers or
customers) may be denominated in foreign currencies. These transactions
are expressed in the entity’s own currency (‘functional currency’) for
financial reporting purposes.
• An entity may have foreign operations – such as overseas subsidiaries,
branches or associates – that maintain their accounting records in their
local currency. Because it is not possible to combine transactions measured

in different currencies, the foreign operation’s results and financial position

are translated into a single currency, namely that in which the group’s
consolidated financial statements are reported (‘presentation currency’).
The methods required for each of the above circumstances are summarised
below.
Expressing foreign currency transactions in the entity’s functional currency
A foreign currency transaction is expressed in the functional currency using the

exchange rate at the transaction date. Foreign currency balances representing
cash or amounts to be received or paid in cash (‘monetary items’) are reported
at the end of the reporting period using the exchange rate on that date.
Exchange differences on such monetary items are recognised as income or
expense for the period. Non-monetary balances that are not re-measured at
fair value and are denominated in a foreign currency are expressed in the
functional currency using the exchange rate at the transaction date. Where a
non-monetary item is re-measured at fair value in the financial statements, the
exchange rate at the date when fair value was determined is used.
Translating functional currency financial statements into a presentation currency
Assets and liabilities are translated from the functional currency to the
presentation currency at the closing rate at the end of the reporting period.
The income statement is translated at exchange rates at the dates of the
transactions or at the average rate if that approximates the actual rates. All
resulting exchange differences are recognised in other comprehensive income.
The financial statements of a foreign operation that has the currency of

a hyperinflationary economy as its functional currency are first restated
in accordance with IAS 29. All components are then translated to the
presentation currency at the closing rate at the end of the reporting period.
8 Insurance contracts – IFRS 4
Insurance contracts are contracts where an entity accepts significant insurance

risk from another party (the policyholder) by agreeing to compensate the
policyholder if the insured event adversely affects the policyholder. The risk
transferred in the contract must be insurance risk, which is any risk except for
financial risk.

IFRS 4 applies to all issuers of insurance contracts whether or not the entity
is legally an insurance company. It does not apply to accounting for insurance
contracts by policyholders.
IFRS 4 is an interim standard pending completion of Phase II of the IASB’s

project on insurance contracts. It allows entities to continue with their existing
accounting policies for insurance contracts if those policies meet certain
minimum criteria. One of the minimum criteria is that the amount of the
insurance liability is subject to a liability adequacy test. This test considers
current estimates of all contractual and related cash flows. If the liability
adequacy test identifies that the insurance liability is inadequate, the entire
deficiency is recognised in the income statement.
Accounting policies modelled on IAS 37, ‘Provisions, contingent liabilities

and contingent assets’, are appropriate in cases where the issuer is not an
insurance company and where there is no specific local GAAP for insurance
contracts (or the local GAAP is only directed at insurance companies).
Disclosure is particularly important for information relating to insurance

contracts, as entities can continue to use local GAAP accounting policies for
measurement. IFRS 4 has two main principles for disclosure. Entities should
disclose:
• information that identifies and explains the amounts in its financial
statements arising from insurance contracts; and
• information that enables users of its financial statements to evaluate the
nature and extent of risks arising from insurance contracts.
9 Revenue – IAS 18, IAS 11 and IAS 20
Revenue is measured at the fair value of the consideration received or

receivable. When the substance of a single transaction indicates that it
includes separately identifiable components, revenue is allocated to these
components generally by reference to their fair values. It is recognised for each
component separately by applying the recognition criteria below.
For example, when a product is sold with a subsequent service, revenue is

allocated initially to the product component and the service component; it is
recognised separately thereafter when the criteria for revenue recognition are
met for each component.

Revenue – IAS 18
Revenue arising from the sale of goods is recognised when an entity transfers
the significant risks and rewards of ownership and gives up managerial
involvement usually associated with ownership or control, if it is probable that
economic benefits will flow to the entity and the amount of revenue and costs
can be measured reliably.
Revenue from the rendering of services is recognised when the outcome of the
transaction can be estimated reliably. This is done by reference to the stage of
completion of the transaction at the balance sheet date, using requirements
similar to those for construction contracts. The outcome of a transaction
can be estimated reliably when: the amount of revenue can be measured
reliably; it is probable that economic benefits will flow to the entity; the stage
of completion can be measured reliably; and the costs incurred and costs to
complete can be reliably measured.
Examples of transactions where the entity retains significant risks and rewards
of ownership and revenue is not recognised are when:
• the entity retains an obligation for unsatisfactory performance not covered
by normal warranty provisions;
• the buyer has the power to rescind the purchase for a reason specified
in the sales contract and the entity is uncertain about the probability of
return; and
• then the goods are shipped subject to installation and that installation is a
significant part of the contract.
Interest income is recognised using the effective interest rate method.

Royalties are recognised on an accruals basis in accordance with the substance
of the relevant agreement. Dividends are recognised when the shareholder’s
right to receive payment is established.
IFRIC 13, ‘Customer loyalty programmes’, clarifies the accounting for award
credits granted to customers when they purchase goods or services – for
example, under frequent-flyer or supermarket loyalty schemes. The fair value
of the consideration received or receivable in respect of the initial sale is
allocated between the award credits and the other components of the sale.
IFRIC 18, ‘Transfers of assets from customers’, clarifies the accounting for
arrangements where an item of property, plant and equipment is transferred

by a customer in return for connection to a network and/or ongoing access to

goods or services. IFRIC 18 will be most relevant to the utility industry,
but it may also apply to other transactions, such as when a customer
transfers ownership of property, plant and equipment as part of an
outsourcing agreement.
Construction contracts – IAS 11
A construction contract is a contract specifically negotiated for the

construction of an asset or combination of assets, including contracts for the
rendering of services directly related to the construction of the asset (such as
project managers and architects services). Such contracts are typically fixed-
price or cost-plus contracts.
Revenue and expenses on construction contracts are recognised using the

percentage-of-completion method. This means that revenue, expenses and
therefore profit are recognised gradually as contract activity occurs.
When the outcome of the contract cannot be estimated reliably, revenue

is recognised only to the extent of costs incurred that it is probable will be
recovered; contract costs are recognised as an expense as incurred. When it
is probable that total contract costs will exceed total contract revenue, the
expected loss is recognised as an expense immediately.
IFRIC 15, ‘Agreements for construction of real estate’, clarifies which standard
(IAS 18, ‘Revenue’, or IAS 11, ‘Construction contracts’) should be applied to
particular transactions.
Government grants – IAS 20
Government grants are recognised when there is reasonable assurance that the
entity will comply with the conditions related to them and that the grants will
be received.
Grants related to income are recognised in profit or loss over the periods
necessary to match them with the related costs that they are intended to
compensate. They are either offset against the related expense or presented as
separate income. The timing of such recognition in profit or loss will depend
on the fulfillment of any conditions or obligations attaching to the grant.

Grants related to assets are either offset against the carrying amount of the
relevant asset or presented as deferred income in the balance sheet. Profit or
loss will be affected either by a reduced depreciation charge or by deferred
income being recognised as income systematically over the useful life of the
related asset.
10 Segment reporting – IFRS 8
Only certain entities are required to disclose segment information. These are
entities with listed or quoted equity or debt instruments or entities that are in
the process of obtaining a listing or quotation of debt or equity instruments in
a public market.
Operating segments are components of an entity, identified based on internal

reports on each segment that are regularly used by the entity’s chief
operating decision-maker (CODM) to allocate resources to the segment and
to assess its performance.
Operating segments are separately reported if they meet the definition of a

reportable segment. A reportable segment is an operating segment or group
of operating segments that exceed the quantitative thresholds set out in the
standard. However, an entity may disclose any additional operating segment
if it chooses to do so.
For all reportable segments, the entity is required to provide a measure of

profit or loss in the format viewed by the CODM, as well as disclosure of a
measure of assets and liabilities if such amounts are regularly provided to
the CODM. Other segment disclosures include the revenue from customers
for each group of similar products and services, revenue by geography and
dependence on major customers. Other detailed disclosures of performance
and resources are required if the CODM reviews these amounts. A
reconciliation of the totals of revenue, profit and loss, assets and liabilities
and other material items reviewed by the CODM to the primary financial
statements is required.
11 Employee benefits – IAS 19
Employee benefits are all forms of consideration given or promised by an

entity in exchange for services rendered by its employees. These benefits

include salary-related benefits (such as wages, profit-sharing, bonuses

and compensated absences, such as paid holiday and long-service leave),
termination benefits (such as severance and redundancy pay) and post-
employment benefits (such as retirement benefit plans). Share-based payments
are addressed in IFRS 2 (See Section 12).
Post-employment benefits include pensions, post-employment life insurance

and medical care. Pensions are provided to employees either through defined
contribution plans or defined benefit plans.
Recognition and measurement for short-term benefits is straight-forward,

because actuarial assumptions are not required and the obligations are not
discounted. However, long-term benefits, particularly post-employment
benefits, give rise to more complicated measurement issues.
Defined contribution plans
Accounting for defined contribution plans is straight-forward: the cost of

defined contribution plans is the contribution payable by the employer for
that accounting period.
Defined benefit plans
Accounting for defined benefit plans is complex because actuarial

assumptions and valuation methods are required to measure the balance
sheet obligation and the expense. The expense recognised is not necessarily
the contributions made in the period.
The amount recognised on the balance sheet is the defined benefit

obligation less plan assets adjusted for actuarial gains and losses (see
‘corridor approach’ below).
To calculate the defined benefit obligation, estimates (actuarial assumptions)

about demographic variables (such as employee turnover and mortality) and
financial variables (such as future increases in salaries and medical costs) are
input into a valuation model. The benefit is then discounted to present value.
This normally requires the expertise of an actuary.
Where defined benefit plans are funded, the plan assets are measured at fair
value using discounted cash flow estimates if market prices are not available.
Plan assets are tightly defined, and only assets that meet the definition of plan

assets may be offset against the plan’s defined benefit obligations − that is, the
net surplus or deficit is shown on the balance sheet.
The re-measurement at each balance sheet date of the plan assets and the
defined benefit obligation gives rise to actuarial gains and losses. There are
three permissible methods under IAS 19 for recognising actuarial gains and
losses:
• Under the ‘other comprehensive income’ (OCI) approach, actuarial gains
and losses are recognised immediately in other comprehensive income.
• Under the ‘corridor approach’, any actuarial gains and losses that fall
outside the higher of 10 per cent of the present value of the defined benefit
obligation or 10 per cent of the fair value of the plan assets (if any) are
amortised over no more than the remaining working life of the employees.
• Under the income statement approach, actuarial gains and losses are
recognised immediately in profit or loss.
IAS 19 analyses the changes in the plan assets and liabilities into various
components, the net total of which is recognised as an expense or income in
the income statement. These components include:
• current-service cost (the present value of the benefits earned by active
employees in the current period);
• interest cost (the unwinding of the discount on the defined benefit
obligation);
• expected return on any plan assets (expected interest, dividends and
capital growth of plan assets);
• actuarial gains and losses, to the extent they are recognised in the income
statement (see above); and
• past-service costs (the change in the present value of the plan liabilities
relating to employee service in prior periods arising from changes to post-
employment benefits).
Past-service costs are recognised as an expense on a straight-line basis over

the average period until the benefits become vested. If the benefits are already
vested, the past-service cost is recognised as an expense immediately. Gains
and losses on the curtailment or settlement of a defined benefit plan are
recognised in profit and loss when the curtailment or settlement occurs.
When plan assets exceed the defined benefit obligation creating a net surplus,
IFRIC 14, ‘IAS 19 – The limit on a defined benefit asset, minimum funding

requirements and their interaction’, provides guidance on assessing the amount

that can be recognised as an asset. It also explains how the pension asset
or liability may be affected by a statutory or contractual minimum funding
requirement.
The IASB issued a revised version of IAS 19, ‘Employee benefits’, in June
2011. The revised version contains significant changes to the recognition and
measurement of defined benefit pension expense and termination benefits,
and to the disclosures for all employee benefits. The changes will affect most
entities that apply IAS 19. The amendments could significantly change a
number of performance indicators and might also significantly increase the
volume of disclosures. The new standard is effective for annual periods starting
on or after 1 January 2013. Earlier application is permitted.
12 Share-based payment – IFRS 2
IFRS 2 applies to all share-based payment arrangements. A share-based

payment arrangement is defined as: “an agreement between the entity (or
another group entity or any shareholder of any group entity) and another party
(including an employee) that entitles the other party to receive:
(a) cash or other assets of the entity for amounts that are based on the price (or
value) of equity instruments (including shares or share options) of the entity
or another group entity, or
(b) equity instruments (including shares or share options) of the entity or another
group entity.”
The most common application is to employee share schemes, such as share

option schemes. However, entities sometimes also pay for other expenses −
such as professional fees − and for the purchase of assets by means of share-
based payment.
The accounting treatment under IFRS 2 is based on the fair value of the
instruments. Both the valuation of and the accounting for awards can be
difficult, due to the complex models that need to be used to calculate the fair
value of options, and also due to the variety and complexity of schemes. In
addition, the standard requires extensive disclosures. The result generally is
reduced reported profits, especially in entities that use share-based payment
extensively as part of their remuneration strategy.

All transactions involving share-based payment are recognised as expenses or

assets over any vesting period.
Equity-settled share-based payment transactions are measured at the grant

date fair value for employee services; and, for non-employee transactions, at
the fair value of the goods or services received at the date on which the entity
recognises the goods or services. If the fair value of the goods or services
cannot be estimated reliably – such as employee services and circumstances in
which the goods or services cannot be specifically identified – the entity uses
the fair value of the equity instruments granted. Additionally, management
needs to consider if there are any unidentifiable goods or services received or
to be received by the entity, as these also have to be recognised and measured
in accordance with IFRS 2. Equity-settled share-based payment transactions
are not re-measured once the grant date fair value has been determined.
The treatment is different for cash-settled share-based payment transactions:

cash-settled awards are measured at the fair value of the liability. The liability
is re-measured at each balance sheet date and at the date of settlement, with
changes in fair value recognised in the income statement.
13 Taxation – IAS 12
IAS 12 only deals with taxes on income, comprising current and deferred
tax. Current tax expense for a period is based on the taxable and deductible
amounts that will be shown on the tax return for the current year. An entity
recognises a liability in the balance sheet in respect of current tax expense for
the current and prior periods to the extent unpaid. It recognises an asset if
current tax has been overpaid.
Current tax assets and liabilities for the current and prior periods are
measured at the amount expected to be paid to (recovered from) the taxation
authorities, using the tax rates and tax laws that have been enacted or
substantively enacted by the balance sheet date.
Tax payable based on taxable profit seldom matches the tax expense that
might be expected based on pre-tax accounting profit. The mismatch can
occur because IFRS recognition criteria for items of income and expense are
different from the treatment of items under tax law.

Deferred tax accounting seeks to deal with this mismatch. It is based on

the temporary differences between the tax base of an asset or liability and
its carrying amount in the financial statements. For example, a property is
revalued upwards but not sold, the revaluation creates a temporary difference
(the carrying amount of the asset in the financial statements is greater than the
tax base of the asset), and the tax consequence is a deferred tax liability.
Deferred tax is provided in full for all temporary differences arising between
the tax bases of assets and liabilities and their carrying amounts in the financial
statements, except when the temporary difference arises from:
• initial recognition of goodwill (for deferred tax liabilities only);
• initial recognition of an asset or liability in a transaction that is not a
business combination and that affects neither accounting profit nor taxable
profit; and
• investments in subsidiaries, branches, associates and joint ventures, but
only where certain criteria apply.
Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured at the tax rates that are
expected to apply to the period when the asset is realised or the liability
is settled, based on tax rates (and tax laws) that have been enacted or
substantively enacted by the balance sheet date. The discounting of deferred
tax assets and liabilities is not permitted.
The measurement of deferred tax liabilities and deferred tax assets reflects
the tax consequences that would follow from the manner in which the entity
expects, at the balance sheet date, to recover (that is, through use or through
sale or through a combination of both) the carrying amount of its assets
and liabilities. The expected manner of recovery for non-depreciable assets
measured using the revaluation model in IAS 16 is always through sale; there is
a rebuttable presumption that the expected manner of recovery for investment
property that is measured using the fair value model in IAS 40 is through sale.
Management only recognises a deferred tax asset for deductible temporary

differences to the extent that it is probable that taxable profit will be available
against which the deductible temporary difference can be utilised. This also
applies to deferred tax assets for unused tax losses carried forward.
Current and deferred tax is recognised in profit or loss for the period, unless
the tax arises from a business combination or a transaction or event that is
recognised outside profit or loss, either in other comprehensive income or

directly in equity in the same or different period. The tax consequences that
accompany, for example, a change in tax rates or tax laws, a reassessment of
the recoverability of deferred tax assets or a change in the expected manner of
recovery of an asset are recognised in profit or loss, except to the extent that
they relate to items previously charged or credited outside profit or loss.
14 Earnings per share – IAS 33
Earnings per share (EPS) is a ratio that is widely used by financial analysts,
investors and others to gauge an entity’s profitability and to value its shares.
EPS is normally calculated in the context of ordinary shares of the entity.
Earnings attributable to ordinary shareholders are therefore determined by
deducting from net income the earnings attributable to holders of more senior
equity instruments.
An entity whose ordinary shares are listed on a recognised stock exchange or

are otherwise publicly traded is required to disclose both basic and diluted
EPS with equal prominence in its separate or individual financial statements,
or in its consolidated financial statements if it is a parent. Furthermore,
entities that file or are in the process of filing financial statements with a
securities commission or other regulatory body for the purposes of issuing
ordinary shares (that is, not a private placement) are also required to comply
with IAS 33.
Basic EPS is calculated by dividing the profit or loss for the period attributable
to the equity holders of the parent by the weighted average number of
ordinary shares outstanding (including adjustments for bonus and rights
issues).
Diluted EPS is calculated by adjusting the profit or loss and the weighted
average number of ordinary shares by taking into account the conversion of
any dilutive potential ordinary shares. Potential ordinary shares are those
financial instruments and contracts that may result in issuing ordinary shares
such as convertible bonds and options (including employee share options).
Basic and diluted EPS for both continuing and total operations are presented
with equal prominence in the statement of comprehensive income – or in the
separate income statement where one is presented – for each class of ordinary
shares. Separate EPS figures for discontinued operations are disclosed in the
same statements or in the notes.

Balance sheet and related notes
15 Intangible assets – IAS 38
An intangible asset is an identifiable non-monetary asset without physical

substance. The identifiable criterion is met when the intangible asset is
separable (that is, when it can be sold, transferred or licensed) or where it
arises from contractual or other legal rights.
Separately acquired intangible assets
Separately acquired intangible assets are recognised initially at cost. Cost

comprises the purchase price, including import duties and non-refundable
purchase taxes, and any directly attributable costs of preparing the asset for
its intended use. The purchase price of a separately acquired intangible asset
incorporates assumptions about the probable economic future benefits that
may be generated by the asset.
Internally generated intangible assets
The process of generating an intangible asset is divided into a research phase

and a development phase. No intangible assets arising from the research
phase may be recognised. Intangible assets arising from the development
phase are recognised when the entity can demonstrate:
• its technical feasibility;
• its intention to complete the developments;
• its ability to use or sell the intangible asset;
• how the intangible asset will generate probable future economic benefits
(for example, the existence of a market for the output of the intangible
asset or for the intangible asset itself);
• the availability of resources to complete the development; and
• its ability to measure the attributable expenditure reliably.
Any expenditure written off during the research or development phase

cannot be capitalised if the project meets the criteria for recognition at a later
date. The costs relating to many internally generated intangible items cannot
be capitalised and are expensed as incurred. This includes research, start-up
and advertising costs. Expenditure on internally generated brands, mastheads,
customer lists, publishing titles and goodwill are not recognised as intangible
assets.

Intangible assets acquired in a business combination
If an intangible asset is acquired in a business combination, both the probability

and measurement criterion are always considered to be met. An intangible asset
will therefore always be recognised, regardless of whether it has been previously
recognised in the acquiree’s financial statements.
Subsequent measurement
Intangible assets are amortised unless they have an indefinite useful life.
Amortisation is carried out on a systematic basis over the useful life of the
intangible asset. An intangible asset has an indefinite useful life when, based on
an analysis of all the relevant factors, there is no foreseeable limit to the period
over which the asset is expected to generate net cash inflows for the entity.
Intangible assets with finite useful lives are considered for impairment when
there is an indication that the asset has been impaired. Intangible assets with
indefinite useful lives and intangible assets not yet in use are tested annually
for impairment and whenever there is an indication of impairment.
16 Property, plant and equipment – IAS 16
Property, plant and equipment (PPE) is recognised when the cost of an asset
can be reliably measured and it is probable that the entity will obtain future
economic benefits from the asset.
PPE is measured initially at cost. Cost includes the fair value of the
consideration given to acquire the asset (net of discounts and rebates) and
any directly attributable cost of bringing the asset to working condition for its
intended use (inclusive of import duties and non-refundable purchase taxes).
Directly attributable costs include the cost of site preparation, delivery,

installation costs, relevant professional fees and the estimated cost of
dismantling and removing the asset and restoring the site (to the extent that
such a cost is recognised as a provision). Classes of PPE are carried at historical
cost less accumulated depreciation and any accumulated impairment losses
(the cost model), or at a revalued amount less any accumulated depreciation
and subsequent accumulated impairment losses (the revaluation model). The
depreciable amount of PPE (being the gross carrying value less the estimated
residual value) is depreciated on a systematic basis over its useful life.

Subsequent expenditure relating to an item of PPE is capitalised if it meets the

recognition criteria.
PPE may comprise parts with different useful lives. Depreciation is calculated
based on each individual part’s life. In case of replacement of one part, the
new part is capitalised to the extent that it meets the recognition criteria of an
asset, and the carrying amount of the parts replaced is derecognised.
The cost of a major inspection or overhaul of an item occurring at regular

intervals over the useful life of the item is capitalised to the extent that it
meets the recognition criteria of an asset. The carrying amounts of the parts
replaced are derecognised.
IFRIC 18 clarifies the accounting for arrangements where an item of PPE that
is provided by the customer is used to provide an ongoing service.
Borrowing costs
Under IAS 23, costs are directly attributable to the acquisition, construction or
production of a qualifying asset to be capitalised.
17 Investment property – IAS 40
Certain properties are classified as investment properties for financial reporting

purposes in accordance with IAS 40 as the characteristics of these properties
differ significantly from owner-occupied properties. It is the current value
of such properties and changes to those values that are relevant to users of
financial statements.
Investment property is property (land or a building, or part of a building or

both) held by an entity to earn rentals and/or for capital appreciation. This
category includes such property in the course of construction or development.
Any other properties are accounted for as property, plant and equipment (PPE)
in accordance with:
• IAS 16 if they are held for use in the production or supply of goods or
services; or
• IAS 2 as inventory, if they are held for sale in the ordinary course of
business. Owner-occupied property does not meet the definition of
investment property.

Initial measurement of an investment property is the fair value of its purchase

consideration plus any directly attributable costs. Subsequent to initial
measurement, management may choose as its accounting policy either to
carry investment properties at fair value or at cost. The policy chosen is
applied consistently to all the investment properties that the entity owns.
If the fair value option is chosen, investment properties in the course of

construction or development are measured at fair value if this can be reliably
measured; otherwise, they are measured at cost.
Under IAS 40, fair value is the price at which the property could be
exchanged between knowledgeable, willing parties in an arm’s length
transaction. Under IFRS 13, which is effective from annual periods beginning
on or after 1 January 2013, fair value is defined as ‘the price that would be
received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction
between market participants at the measurement date’. Changes in fair value
are recognised in profit or loss in the period in which they arise.
The cost model requires investment properties to be carried at cost less

accumulated depreciation and any accumulated impairment losses consistent
with the treatment of PPE; the fair values of these properties is disclosed in the
notes.
18 Impairment of assets – IAS 36
Nearly all assets − current and non-current − are subject to an impairment

test to ensure that they are not overstated on balance sheets.
The basic principle of impairment is that an asset may not be carried on the
balance sheet at above its recoverable amount. Recoverable amount is defined
as the higher of the asset’s fair value less costs to sell and its value in use. Fair
value less costs to sell is the amount obtainable from a sale of an asset in an
arm’s length transaction between knowledgeable, willing parties, less costs
of disposal. Value in use requires management to estimate the future cash
flows to be derived from the asset and discount them using a pre-tax market
rate that reflects current assessments of the time value of money and the risks
specific to the asset.
All assets subject to the impairment guidance are tested for impairment where
there is an indication that the asset may be impaired. Certain assets (goodwill,

indefinite lived intangible assets and intangible assets that are not yet
available for use) are also tested for impairment annually even if there is no
impairment indicator.
When considering whether an asset is impaired, both external indicators (for

example, significant adverse changes in the technological, market, economic
or legal environment or increases in market interest rates) and internal
indicators (for example, evidence of obsolescence or physical damage of an
asset or evidence from internal reporting that the economic performance of an
asset is, or will be, worse than expected) are considered.
Recoverable amount is calculated at the individual asset level. However, an

asset seldom generates cash flows independently of other assets, and most
assets are tested for impairment in groups of assets described as cash-
generating units (CGUs). A CGU is the smallest identifiable group of assets
that generates inflows that are largely independent from the cash flows from
other CGUs.
The carrying value of an asset is compared to the recoverable amount (being

the higher of value in use or fair value less costs to sell). An asset or CGU
is impaired when its carrying amount exceeds its recoverable amount. Any
impairment is allocated to the asset or assets of the CGU, with the impairment
loss recognised in profit or loss.
Goodwill acquired in a business combination is allocated to the acquirer’s

CGUs or groups of CGUs that are expected to benefit from the synergies of
the business combination. However, the largest group of CGUs permitted for
goodwill impairment testing is the lowest level of operating segment before
aggregation.
19 Lease accounting – IAS 17
A lease gives one party (the lessee) the right to use an asset over an agreed
period of time in return for payment to the lessor. Leasing is an important
source of medium- and long-term financing; accounting for leases can have a
significant impact on lessees’ and lessors’ financial statements.
Leases are classified as finance or operating leases at inception, depending on

whether substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership transfer to the
lessee. Under a finance lease, the lessee has substantially all of the risks and

reward of ownership. All other leases are operating leases. Leases of land and
buildings are considered separately under IFRS.
Under a finance lease, the lessee recognises an asset held under a finance lease
and a corresponding obligation to pay rentals. The lessee depreciates
the asset.
The lessor recognises the leased asset as a receivable. The receivable is

measured at the ‘net investment’ in the lease – the minimum lease payments
receivable, discounted at the internal rate of return of the lease, plus the
unguaranteed residual which accrues to the lessor.
Under an operating lease, the lessee does not recognise an asset and lease
obligation. The lessor continues to recognise the leased asset and depreciates
it. The rentals paid are normally charged to the income statement of the lessee
and credited to that of the lessor on a straight-line basis.
Linked transactions with the legal form of a lease are accounted for on the
basis of their substance – for example, a sale and leaseback where the seller
is committed to repurchase the asset may not be a lease in substance if the
‘seller’ retains the risks and rewards of ownership and substantially the same
rights of use as before the transaction.
Equally, some transactions that do not have the legal form of a lease are in
substance leases if they are dependent on a particular asset that the purchaser
can control physically or economically.
20 Inventories – IAS 2
Inventories are initially recognised at cost. Inventory costs include import

duties, non-refundable taxes, transport and handling costs, and any other
directly attributable costs less trade discounts, rebates and similar items.
Inventories are valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value (NRV).
NRV is the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less the
estimated costs of completion and estimated selling expenses.
IAS 2, ‘Inventories’, requires the cost of items that are not interchangeable
or that have been segregated for specific contracts to be determined on an
individual-item basis. The cost of other items of inventory used is assigned

by using either the first-in, first-out (FIFO) or weighted average cost formula.
Last-in, first-out (LIFO) is not permitted. An entity uses the same cost formula
for all inventories that have a similar nature and use to the entity. A different
cost formula may be justified where inventories have a different nature or use.
The cost formula used is applied on a consistent basis from period to period.
21 Provisions and contingencies – IAS 37
A liability is a ‘present obligation of the entity arising from past events, the
settlement of which is expected to result in an outflow from the entity of
resources embodying economic benefits’. A provision falls within the category
of liabilities and is defined as ‘a liability of uncertain timing or amount’
Recognition and initial measurement
A provision is recognised when: the entity has a present obligation to transfer

economic benefits as a result of past events; it is probable (more likely than
not) that such a transfer will be required to settle the obligation; and a reliable
estimate of the amount of the obligation can be made.
The amount recognised as a provision is the best estimate of the expenditure

required to settle the obligation at the balance sheet date, measured at the
expected cash flows discounted for the time value of money. Provisions are not
recognised for future operating losses.
A present obligation arises from an obligating event and may take the form
of either a legal obligation or a constructive obligation. An obligating event
leaves the entity no realistic alternative to settling the obligation. If the
entity can avoid the future expenditure by its future actions, it has no present
obligation, and no provision is required. For example, an entity cannot
recognise a provision based solely on the intent to incur expenditure at some
future date or the expectation of future operating losses (unless these losses
relate to an onerous contract).
An obligation does not generally have to take the form of a ‘legal’ obligation
before a provision is recognised. An entity may have an established pattern
of past practice that indicates to other parties that it will accept certain
responsibilities and as a result has created a valid expectation on the part of
those other parties that it will discharge those responsibilities (that is, the
entity is under a constructive obligation).

If an entity has an onerous contract (the unavoidable costs of meeting the

obligations under the contract exceed the economic benefits expected to be
received under it), the present obligation under the contract is recognised as a
provision. Impairments of any assets dedicated to the contract are recognised
before making a provision.
Restructuring provisions
There are specific requirements for restructuring provisions. A provision is

recognised when there is: (a) a detailed formal plan identifying the main
features of the restructuring; and (b) a valid expectation in those affected that
the entity will carry out the restructuring by starting to implement the plan or
by announcing its main features to those affected.
A restructuring plan does not create a present obligation at the balance

sheet date if it is announced after that date, even if it is announced before
the financial statements are approved. No obligation arises for the sale of an
operation until the entity is committed to the sale (that is, there is a binding
sale agreement).
The provision includes only incremental costs resulting from the restructuring
and not those associated with the entity’s ongoing activities. Any expected
gains on the sale of assets are not considered in measuring a restructuring
provision.
Reimbursements
An obligation and any anticipated recovery are presented separately as a

liability and an asset respectively; however, an asset can only be recognised
if it is virtually certain that settlement of the obligation will result in a
reimbursement, and the amount recognised for the reimbursement should
not exceed the amount of the provision. The amount of any expected
reimbursement is disclosed. Net presentation is permitted only in the
income statement.
Subsequent measurement
Management performs an exercise at each balance sheet date to identify the

best estimate of the discounted expenditure required to settle the present
obligation at the balance sheet date. The increase in provision due to the
passage of time (that is, as a consequence of the discount rate) is recognised
as interest expense.
Contingent liabilities
Contingent liabilities are possible obligations whose existence will be

confirmed only on the occurrence or non-occurrence of uncertain future
events outside the entity’s control, or present obligations that are not
recognised because: (a) it is not probable that an outflow of economic benefits
will be required to settle the obligation; or (b) the amount cannot
be measured reliably.
Contingent liabilities are not recognised but are disclosed and described in
the notes to the financial statements, including an estimate of their potential
financial effect and uncertainties relating to the amount or timing of any
outflow, unless the possibility of settlement is remote.
Contingent assets
Contingent assets are possible assets whose existence will be confirmed only
on the occurrence or non-occurrence of uncertain future events outside the
entity’s control. Contingent assets are not recognised. When the realisation
of income is virtually certain, the related asset is not a contingent asset; it is
recognised as an asset.
Contingent assets are disclosed and described in the notes to the financial
statements, including an estimate of their potential financial effect if the
inflow of economic benefits is probable.
22 Events after the reporting period and financial

commitments – IAS 10
It is not generally practicable for preparers to finalise financial statements

without a period of time elapsing between the balance sheet date and the
date on which the financial statements are authorised for issue. The question
therefore arises as to the extent to which events occurring between the
balance sheet date and the date of approval (that is, ‘events after the
reporting period’) should be reflected in the financial statements.
Events after the reporting period are either adjusting events or non-adjusting
events. Adjusting events provide further evidence of conditions that existed
at the balance sheet date – for example, determining after the year end
the consideration for assets sold before the year end. Non-adjusting events

relate to conditions that arose after the balance sheet date – for example,
announcing a plan to discontinue an operation after the year end.
The carrying amounts of assets and liabilities at the balance sheet date are
adjusted only for adjusting events or events that indicate that the going-
concern assumption in relation to the whole entity is not appropriate.
Significant non-adjusting post-balance-sheet events, such as the issue of
shares or major business combinations, are disclosed.
Dividends proposed or declared after the balance sheet date but before
the financial statements have been authorised for issue are not recognised
as a liability at the balance sheet date. However, details of these dividends
are disclosed.
An entity discloses the date on which the financial statements were authorised
for issue and the persons authorising the issue and, where necessary, the
fact that the owners or other persons have the ability to amend the financial
statements after issue.
23 Share capital and reserves
Equity, along with assets and liabilities, is one of the three elements used
to portray an entity’s financial position. Equity is defined in the IASB’s
Framework as the residual interest in the entity’s assets after deducting all
its liabilities. The term ‘equity’ is often used to encompass an entity’s equity
instruments and reserves. Equity is given various descriptions in the financial
statements. Corporate entities may refer to it as owners’ equity, shareholders’
equity, capital and reserves, shareholders’ funds and proprietorship. Equity
includes various components with different characteristics.
Determining what constitutes an equity instrument for the purpose of IFRS

and how it should be accounted for falls within the scope of the financial
instrument standard IAS 32.
Different classes of share capital may be treated as either debt or equity,

or a compound instrument with both debt and equity components. Equity
instruments (for example, issued, non-redeemable ordinary shares) are
generally recorded at the proceeds of issue net of transaction costs. Equity
instruments are not re-measured after initial recognition.

Reserves include retained earnings, together with fair value reserves, hedging
reserves, asset revaluation reserves and foreign currency translation reserves
and other statutory reserves.
Treasury shares
Treasury shares are deducted from equity. No gain or loss is recognised in

profit or loss on the purchase, sale, issue or cancellation of an entity’s own
equity instruments.
Non-controlling interests
Non-controlling interests (previously termed ‘minority interests’) in

consolidated financial statements are presented as a component of equity,
separately from the parent shareholders’ equity.
Disclosures
IAS 1, ‘Presentation of financial statements’, requires various disclosures. These

include the total issued share capital and reserves, presentation of a statement
of changes in equity, capital management policies and dividend information.

Consolidated and separate financial statements
24 Consolidated and separate financial statements – IAS 27
IAS 27 requires consolidated financial statements to be prepared in

respect of a group, subject to certain exceptions. All subsidiaries should
be consolidated. A subsidiary is an entity that is controlled by the parent.
Control is the power to govern the financial and operating policies of an
entity so as to obtain benefits from its activities.
It is presumed to exist when the investor directly or indirectly holds more

than 50 per cent of the investee’s voting power; this presumption may be
rebutted if there is clear evidence to the contrary. Control may also exist
where less than 50 per cent of the investee’s voting power is held and the
parent has the power to control through, for example, control of the board
of directors.
Consolidation of a subsidiary takes place from the date of acquisition; this

is the date on which control of the acquiree’s net assets and operations is
effectively transferred to the acquirer. A consolidated financial statement is
prepared to show the effect as if the parent and all the subsidiaries were one
entity. Transactions within the group (for example, sales from one subsidiary
to another) are eliminated.
An entity with one or more subsidiaries (a parent) presents consolidated

financial statements, unless all the following conditions are met:
• It is itself a subsidiary (subject to no objection from any shareholder).
• Its debt or equity are not publicly traded.
• It is not in the process of issuing securities to the public.
• The ultimate or intermediate parent of the entity publishes IFRS
consolidated financial statements.
There are no exemptions if the group is small or if certain subsidiaries are in

a different line of business.
From the date of acquisition, the parent (the acquirer) incorporates into the
consolidated statement of comprehensive income the financial performance
of the acquiree and recognises in the consolidated balance sheet the
acquired assets and liabilities (at fair value), including any goodwill arising
on the acquisition (see Section 25, ‘Business combinations – IFRS 3’).
In the separate financial statements of a parent entity, the investments in

subsidiaries, jointly controlled entities and associates should be carried at cost
or as financial assets in accordance with IAS 39.
A parent entity recognises dividends received from its subsidiary as income in

its separate financial statements when it has a right to receive the dividend.
There is no need to assess whether the dividend was paid out of pre- or
post-acquisition profits of the subsidiary. The receipt of a dividend from a
subsidiary may be an internal indicator that the related investment could be
impaired.
First-time adopters are able to measure their initial cost of investments in

subsidiaries, jointly controlled entities and associates in the separate financial
statements at deemed cost. Deemed cost is either fair value at the date of
transition to IFRS or the carrying amount under previous
accounting practice.
Consolidation of special purpose entities
A special purpose entity (SPE) is an entity created to accomplish a narrow,

well-defined objective. It may operate in a pre-determined way so that no
other party has explicit decision-making authority over its activities after
formation. An entity should consolidate an SPE when the substance of
the relationship between the entity and the SPE indicates that the SPE is
controlled by the entity. Control may arise at the outset through the pre-
determination of the activities of the SPE or otherwise. An entity may be
deemed to control an SPE if it is exposed to the majority of risks and rewards
incidental to its activities or its assets.
24A Consolidated financial statements – IFRS 10
New principles concerning consolidated financial statements are set out in

IFRS 10, which was issued by the IASB in May 2011. IFRS 10 is the major
output of the IASB’s consolidation project, resulting in a single definition of
control. It supersedes the principles of control and consolidation in current
IAS 27 and SIC-12.
At the same time, the IASB published IFRS 11, IFRS 12, IAS 27 (revised) and
IAS 28 (revised).

IFRS 10’s objective is to establish principles for presenting and preparing

consolidated financial statements when an entity controls one or more
entities. IFRS 10 sets out the requirements for when an entity should
prepare consolidated financial statements, defines the principles of control,
explains how to apply the principles of control and explains the accounting
requirements for preparing consolidated financial statements.
The key principle in the new standard is that control exists, and consolidation
is required only if the investor possesses power over the investee, has exposure
to variable returns from its involvement with the investee and has the ability
to use its power over the investee to affect its returns.
Under current IAS 27, control is determined through the power to govern an
entity; under SIC-12 it is through the level of exposure to risks and rewards.
IFRS 10 brings these two concepts together with a new definition of control
and the concept of exposure to variable returns. The core principle that a
consolidated entity presents a parent and its subsidiaries as if they are a single
economic entity remains unchanged, as do the mechanics of consolidation.
IFRS 10 provides guidance on the following issues when determining who has
control:
• assessment of the purpose and design of an investee;
• nature of rights – whether substantive or merely protective in nature;
• impact of exposure to variable returns;
• assessment of voting rights and potential voting rights;
• whether an investor is a principal or an agent when exercising its
controlling power;
• relationships between investors and how they affect control; and
• existence of power over specified assets only.
The new standard will affect some entities more than others. The
consolidation conclusion is not expected to change for most straightforward
entities. However, changes can result where there are complex group
structures or where structured entities are involved in a transaction. Entities
that are most likely to be affected potentially include investors in the
following entities:
• entities with a dominant investor that does not possess a majority
voting interest, where the remaining votes are held by widely-dispersed
shareholders (de facto control);

• structured entities, also known as special purpose entities;

• entities that issue or hold significant potential voting rights; and
• asset management entities.
In difficult situations, the precise facts and circumstances will affect

the analysis under IFRS 10. IFRS 10 does not provide ‘bright lines’ and
requires consideration of many factors, such as the existence of contractual
arrangements and rights held by other parties, in order to assess control.
The new standard is available for early adoption, with mandatory application
required from 1 January 2013. The standard still has to be endorsed by the
EU for use by European companies.
IFRS 10 does not contain any disclosure requirements; these are included
within IFRS 12. IFRS 12 has greatly increased the amount of disclosures
required. Reporting entities should plan for, and implement, the processes
and controls that will be required to gather the additional information. This
may involve a preliminary consideration of IFRS 12 issues, such as the level
of disaggregation required.
The IASB is continuing to work on a project that proposes changes to how

investment entities account for entities they control. It issued an exposure
draft of its proposals in September 2011.
25 Business combinations – IFRS 3
A business combination is a transaction or event in which an acquirer obtains

control of one or more businesses (‘acquiree(s)’). Control is defined in
IAS 27 as the power to govern the financial and operating policies of an entity
or business so as to obtain benefits from its activities. (Under IFRS 10, an
investor controls an investee when the investor is exposed, or has rights, to
variable returns from its involvement with the investee and has the ability to
affect those returns through its power over the investee.) A number of factors
may influence which entity has control, including equity shareholding, control
of the board and control agreements. There is a presumption of control if an
entity owns more than 50% of the equity shareholding in another entity.

Business combinations occur in a variety of structures. IFRS 3 focuses on the

substance of the transaction, rather than the legal form. The overall result
of a series of transactions is considered if there are a number of transactions
among the parties involved. For example, any transaction contingent on the
completion of another transaction may be considered linked. Judgement is
required to determine when transactions should be linked.
All business combinations, excluding those involving businesses under

common control, are accounted for using the acquisition method. The
acquisition method can be summarised in the following steps:
• Identify the acquirer.
• Determine the acquisition date.
• Recognise and measure the identifiable assets acquired, liabilities assumed
and any non-controlling interest in the acquiree.
• Recognise and measure the consideration transferred for the acquiree.
• Recognise and measure goodwill or a gain from a bargain purchase.
The acquisition method looks at a business combination from the perspective

of the acquirer – that is, the entity that obtains control over another
business. It first involves identifying the acquirer. The acquirer measures
the consideration, fair value of assets and liabilities acquired, goodwill and
any non-controlling interests as of the acquisition date (the date on which it
obtains control over the net assets of the acquiree).
The acquiree’s identifiable assets (including intangible assets not previously

recognised), liabilities and contingent liabilities are generally recognised
at their fair value. Fair value is determined by reference to an arm’s length
transaction; the intention of the acquirer is not relevant. If the acquisition
is for less than 100% of the acquiree, there is a non-controlling interest.
The non-controlling interest represents the equity in a subsidiary that is
not attributable, directly or indirectly to the parent. The parent can elect to
measure the non-controlling interest at its fair value or at its proportionate
share of the identifiable net assets.
The consideration for the combination includes cash and cash equivalents and
the fair value of any non-cash consideration given. Any equity instruments
issued as part of the consideration are fair valued. If any of the consideration
is deferred, it is discounted to reflect its present value at the acquisition date,
if the effect of discounting is material. Consideration includes only those

amounts paid to the seller in exchange for control of the entity. Consideration
excludes amounts paid to settle pre-existing relationships, payments that are
contingent on future employee services and acquisition-related costs.
A portion of the consideration may be contingent on the outcome of future

events or the acquired entity’s performance (‘contingent consideration’).
Contingent consideration is also recognised at its fair value at the date of
acquisition. The accounting for contingent consideration after the date of
acquisition depends on whether it is classified as a liability (to be
re-measured to fair value each reporting period through profit and loss) or
equity (no re-measurement), using the guidance in IAS 32.
Goodwill is recognised for the future economic benefits arising from assets
acquired that are not individually identified and separately recognised.
Goodwill is the difference between the consideration transferred, the amount
of any non-controlling interest in the acquiree and the acquisition-date fair
value of any previous equity interest in the acquiree over the fair value of the
identifiable net assets acquired. If the non-controlling interest is measured at
its fair value, goodwill includes amounts attributable to the non-controlling
interest. If the non-controlling interest is measured at its proportionate share
of identifiable net assets, goodwill includes only amounts attributable to the
controlling interest – that is, the parent.
Goodwill is recognised as an asset and tested annually for impairment, or

more frequently if there is an indication of impairment.
In rare situations – for example, a bargain purchase as a result of a distressed

sale – it is possible that no goodwill will result from the transaction. Rather, a
gain will be recognised.
26 Disposal of subsidiaries, businesses and non-current assets –

IFRS 5
IFRS 5 is relevant when any disposal occurs or is planned. The held-for-sale

criteria in IFRS 5 apply to non-current assets (or disposal groups) whose value
will be recovered principally through sale rather than through continuing use.
The criteria do not apply to assets that are being scrapped, wound down
or abandoned.

IFRS 5 defines a disposal group as a group of assets to be disposed of, by sale

or otherwise, together as a group in a single transaction, and liabilities directly
associated with those assets that will be transferred in the transaction.
The non-current asset (or disposal group) is classified as ‘held for sale’ if it is
available for its immediate sale in its present condition and its sale is highly
probable. A sale is ‘highly probable’ where: there is evidence of management
commitment; there is an active programme to locate a buyer and complete
the plan; the asset is actively marketed for sale at a reasonable price
compared to its fair value; the sale is expected to be completed within
12 months of the date of classification; and actions required to complete the
plan indicate that it is unlikely that there will be significant changes to the
plan or that it will be withdrawn.
Non-current assets (or disposal groups) classified as held for sale are:
• carried at the lower of the carrying amount and fair value less costs to sell;
• not depreciated or amortised; and
• presented separately in the balance sheet (assets and liabilities should not
be offset).
A discontinued operation is a component of an entity that can be

distinguished operationally and financially for financial reporting purposes
from the rest of the entity and:
• represents a separate major line of business or major geographical area of
operation;
• is part of a single co-ordinated plan to dispose of a separate major line of
business or geographical area of operation; or
• is a subsidiary acquired exclusively with a view for resale.
An operation is classified as discontinued only at the date on which the

operation meets the criteria to be classified as held for sale or when the
entity has disposed of the operation. Although balance sheet information is
neither restated nor remeasured for discontinued operations, the statement
of comprehensive income information does have to be restated for the
comparative period.
Discontinued operations are presented separately in the income statement

and the cash flow statement. There are additional disclosure requirements in
relation to discontinued operations.

The date of disposal of a subsidiary or disposal group is the date on which

control passes. The consolidated income statement includes the results of
a subsidiary or disposal group up to the date of disposal; the gain or loss
on disposal is the difference between (a) the carrying amount of the net
assets plus any attributable goodwill and amounts accumulated in other
comprehensive income (for example, foreign translation adjustments and
available-for-sale reserves); and (b) the proceeds of sale.
27 Equity accounting – IAS 28
An associate is an entity in which the investor has significant influence, but

which is neither a subsidiary nor a joint venture of the investor. Significant
influence is the power to participate in the financial and operating policy
decisions of the investee, but not to control those policies. It is presumed to
exist when the investor holds at least 20% of the investee’s voting power. It is
presumed not to exist when less than 20% is held. These presumptions may be
rebutted.
Associates are accounted for using the equity method unless they meet the
criteria to be classified as ‘held for sale’ under IFRS 5. Under the equity
method, the investment in the associate is initially carried at cost. It is
increased or decreased to recognise the investor’s share of the profit or loss
of the associate after the date of acquisition.
Investments in associates are classified as non-current assets and presented as

one line item in the balance sheet (inclusive of notional goodwill arising on
acquisition). Investments in associates are tested for impairment in
accordance with IAS 36, ‘Impairment of assets’, as single assets if there are
impairment indicators under IAS 39.
If an investor’s share of its associate’s losses exceeds the carrying amount

of the investment, the carrying amount of the investment is reduced to nil.
Recognition of further losses are discontinued, unless the investor has an
obligation to fund the associate or the investor has guaranteed to support
the associate.

In the separate (non-consolidated) financial statements of the investor,

the investments in associates are carried at cost or as financial assets in
accordance with IAS 39.
IAS 28 has been amended and now includes the requirements for joint
ventures, as well as associates, to be equity accounted.
28 Interests in joint ventures – IAS 31
A joint venture is a contractual arrangement whereby two or more parties

(the venturers) undertake an economic activity that is subject to joint control.
Joint control is defined as the contractually agreed sharing of control of an
economic activity.
Joint ventures fall into three categories: jointly controlled entities, jointly
controlled operations and jointly controlled assets. The accounting treatment
depends on the type of joint venture.
A jointly controlled entity involves the establishment of a separate entity,

which may be, for example, a corporation or partnership. Jointly controlled
entities are accounted for under IAS 31 using either proportionate
consolidation or equity accounting. SIC-13 addresses non-monetary
contributions to a jointly controlled entity in exchange for an equity interest.
Jointly controlled operations and jointly controlled assets do not involve the
creation of an entity that is separate from the venturers themselves. In a joint
operation, each venturer uses its own resources and carries out its own part
of a joint operation separately from the activities of the other venturer(s).
Each venturer owns and controls its own resources that it uses in the joint
operation. Jointly controlled assets involve the joint ownership of one or
more assets.
Where an entity has an interest in jointly controlled operations or jointly

controlled assets, it accounts for its share of the assets, liabilities, income
and expenses and cash flows under the arrangement using the proportionate
consolidation method or the equity method.

28A Joint arrangements – IFRS 11
The IASB issued IFRS 11 in May 2011 to replace IAS 31. A joint arrangement
is a contractual arrangement in which at least two parties agree to share
control over the activities of the arrangement. Unanimous consent over
decisions about relevant activities is required in order to meet the definition of
joint control.
Joint arrangements can be joint operations or joint ventures. The classification

is principle-based and depends on the parties’ exposure to the arrangement.
When the parties’ exposure to the arrangement only extends to net assets of
the arrangement, the arrangement is a joint venture.
Joint operations are often not structured through separate vehicles. Each
operator has rights to assets and obligations to liabilities, which is not limited
to their capital contribution.
When a joint arrangement is disconnected from the parties and included in

a separate entity, it can be either a joint operation or a joint venture. In such
cases, further analysis is required of the legal form of the separate entity, the
terms and conditions included in the contractual agreement and, sometimes,
other facts and circumstances. This is because, in practice, the latter two can
override the principles derived from the legal form of the separate vehicle.
Joint operators account for their rights to assets and obligations for
liabilities. Joint venturers account for their interest by using the equity
method of accounting.
The new standard is effective for annual periods starting on or after

1 January 2013. It may be early-adopted together with IFRS 10, IFRS 12,
IAS 27 and IAS 28; it is subject to EU endorsement.

Other subjects
Other subjects
29 Related-party disclosures – IAS 24
IAS 24 requires entities to disclose transactions with related parties. Related

parties include:
• parents;
• subsidiaries;
• fellow subsidiaries;
• associates of the entity and other members of the group;
• joint ventures of the entity and other members of the group;
• members of key management personnel of the entity or of a parent of the
entity (and close members of their families);
• persons with control, joint control or significant influence over the entity
(and close members of their families); and
• post-employment benefit plans.
Finance providers are not related parties simply because of their normal
dealings with the entity.
Management discloses the name of the entity’s parent and, if different, the
ultimate controlling party (which could be a person). Relationships between
a parent and its subsidiaries are disclosed irrespective of whether there have
been transactions with them.
Where there have been related-party transactions during the period,

management discloses the nature of the relationship and information about
the transactions and outstanding balances − including commitments −
necessary for users to understand the potential impact of the relationship on
the financial statements. Disclosure is made by category of related party and
by major type of transaction. Items of a similar nature may be disclosed in
aggregate, except when separate disclosure is necessary for an understanding
of the effects of related-party transactions on the entity’s financial statements.
Management only discloses that related-party transactions were made on

terms equivalent to those that prevail in arm’s length transactions if such
terms can be substantiated.
An entity is exempt from the disclosure of transactions (and outstanding

balances) with a related party that is either a government that has control,
Other subjects
joint control or significant influence over the entity, or is another entity

that is under the control, joint control or significant influence of the same
government as the entity. Where the entity applies the exemption, it discloses
the name of the government and the nature of its relationship with the
entity. It also discloses the nature and amount of each individually significant
transaction and the qualitative or quantitative extent of any collectively
significant transactions.
30 Cash flow statements – IAS 7
The cash flow statement is one of the primary statements in financial reporting
(along with the statement of comprehensive income, the balance sheet and
the statement of changes in equity). It presents the generation and use of ‘cash
and cash equivalents’ by category (operating, investing and finance) over
a specific period of time. It provides users with a basis to assess the entity’s
ability to generate and utilise its cash.
Operating activities are the entity’s revenue-producing activities. Investing

activities are the acquisition and disposal of long-term assets (including
business combinations) and investments that are not cash equivalents.
Financing activities are changes in equity and borrowings.
Management may present operating cash flows by using either the direct
method (gross cash receipts/payments) or the indirect method (adjusting net
profit or loss for non-operating and non-cash transactions, and for changes in
working capital).
Cash flows from investing and financing activities are reported separately
gross (that is, gross cash receipts and gross cash payments) unless they meet
certain specified criteria.
The cash flows arising from dividends and interest receipts and payments are
classified on a consistent basis and are separately disclosed under the activity
appropriate to their nature. Cash flows relating to taxation on income are
classified and separately disclosed under operating activities unless they can
be specifically attributed to investing or financing activities.
The total that summarises the effect of the operating, investing and financing
cash flows is the movement in the balance of cash and cash equivalents for
the period.

Other subjects
Separate disclosure is made of significant non-cash transactions (such as the

issue of equity for the acquisition of a subsidiary or the acquisition of an asset
through a finance lease). Non-cash transactions include impairment losses/
reversals; depreciation; amortisation; fair value gains/losses; and income
statement charges for provisions.
31 Interim financial reporting – IAS 34
There is no IFRS requirement for an entity to publish interim financial

statements. However, a number of countries either require or recommend
their publication, in particular for public companies.
IAS 34 applies where an entity publishes an interim financial report in

accordance with IFRS. IAS 34 sets out the minimum content that an interim
financial report should contain and the principles that should be used in
recognising and measuring the transactions and balances included in that
report.
Entities may either prepare full IFRS financial statements (conforming to the
requirements of IAS 1) or condensed financial statements.
As a minimum, current period and comparative figures (condensed or

complete) are disclosed as follows:
• balance sheet (statement of financial position) – as of the current interim
period end with comparatives for the immediately preceding year end;
• statement of comprehensive income (and, if presented separately,
income statement) – current interim period, financial year to date and
comparatives for the same preceding periods (interim and year to date);
• statement of changes in equity and statement of cash flow – financial
year to date with comparatives for the same year to date period of the
preceding year; and
• explanatory notes.
An entity generally uses the same accounting policies for recognising

and measuring assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses, and gains and
losses at interim dates as those to be used in the current-year annual
financial statements.
There are special measurement requirements for certain costs that can only
be determined on an annual basis (for example, items such as tax that is

Other subjects
calculated based on an estimated full-year effective rate), and the use of

estimates in the interim financial statements. An impairment loss recognised
in a previous interim period in respect of goodwill, or an investment in either
an equity instrument or a financial asset carried at cost, is not reversed.
IAS 34 sets out some criteria to determine what information should be

disclosed in the interim financial statements. These include:
• materiality to the overall interim financial statements;
• unusual or irregular items;
• changes since previous reporting periods that have a significant effect on
the interim financial statements (of the current or previous reporting
financial year); and
• relevance to the understanding of estimates used in the interim financial
statements.
The overriding objective is to ensure that an interim financial report includes

all information that is relevant to understanding an entity’s financial position
and performance during the interim period.
32 Service concession arrangements – SIC 29 and IFRIC 12
There is no specific IFRS that applies to public-to-private service concession

arrangements for delivery of public services. IFRIC 12, ‘Service concession
arrangements’, interprets various standards in setting out the accounting
requirements for service concession arrangements; SIC-29 contains
disclosure requirements.
IFRIC 12 applies to public-to-private service concession arrangements in

which the public sector body (the grantor) controls and/or regulates the
services provided with the infrastructure by the private sector entity (the
operator). The interpretation also addresses to whom the operator should
provide the services and at what price. The grantor controls any significant
residual interest in the infrastructure.
As the infrastructure is controlled by the grantor, the operator does not

recognise the infrastructure as its property, plant and equipment; nor does
the operator recognise a finance lease receivable for leasing the public service
infrastructure to the grantor, regardless of the extent to which the operator
bears the risk and rewards incidental to ownership of the assets.

Other subjects
The operator recognises a financial asset to the extent that it has an

unconditional contractual right to receive cash irrespective of the usage of
the infrastructure.
The operator recognises an intangible asset to the extent that it receives a

right (a licence) to charge users of the public service.
Under both the financial asset and the intangible asset models, the operator
accounts for revenue and costs relating to construction or upgrade services in
accordance with IAS 11. The operator recognises revenue and costs relating
to operation services in accordance with IAS 18. Any contractual obligation to
maintain or restore infrastructure, except for upgrade services, is recognised
in accordance with IAS 37.
33 Retirement benefit plans – IAS 26
Financial statements for retirement benefit plans prepared in accordance with

IFRS should comply with IAS 26, ‘Accounting and reporting by retirement
benefit plans’. All other standards apply to the financial statements of
retirement benefit plans to the extent that they are not superseded by IAS 26.
IAS 26 requires the report for a defined contribution plan to include:

• a statement of net assets available for benefits;
• a statement of changes in net assets available for benefits;
• a summary of significant accounting policies;
• a description of the plan and the effect of any changes in the plan during
the period; and
• a description of the funding policy.
IAS 26 requires the report for a defined benefit plan to include:

• either a statement that shows the net assets available for benefits, the
actuarial present value of promised retirement benefits and the resulting
excess or deficit, or a reference to this information in an accompanying
actuarial report;
• a statement of changes in net assets available for benefits;
• a summary of significant accounting policies; and
• a description of the plan and the effect of any changes in the plan during
the period.

Other subjects
The report also explains the relationship between the actuarial present
value of promised retirement benefits, the net assets available for benefits
and the policy for the funding of promised benefits. Investments held by all
retirement plans (whether defined benefit or defined contribution) are
carried at fair value.
34 Fair value measurement – IFRS 13
The IASB issued IFRS 13 as a common framework for measuring fair value
when required or permitted by another IFRS. IFRS 13 defines fair value as
‘The price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability
in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement
date’. The key principle is that fair value is the exit price from the perspective
of market participants who hold the asset or owe the liability at the
measurement date. It is based on the perspective of market participants rather
than just the entity itself, so fair value is not affected by an entity’s intentions
towards the asset, liability or equity item that is being fair valued.
A fair value measurement requires management to determine four things: the

particular asset or liability that is the subject of the measurement (consistent
with its unit of account); the highest and best use for a non-financial asset; the
principal (or most advantageous) market; and the valuation technique.
In our view, IFRS 13 is largely consistent with valuation practices that already
operate today. IFRS 13 is therefore unlikely to result in substantial change in
many cases. However, it introduces a few changes:
• the introduction of a fair value hierarchy for non-financial assets and
liabilities, similar to what IFRS 7 currently prescribes for financial
instruments;
• a requirement for the fair value of all liabilities, including derivative
liabilities, to be determined based on the assumption that the liability
will be transferred to another party rather than otherwise settled or
extinguished;
• the removal of the requirement to use bid and ask prices for actively-
quoted financial assets and financial liabilities respectively. Instead, the
most representative price within the bid-ask spread should be used; and
• the introduction of additional disclosures related to fair value.
IFRS 13 addresses how to measure fair value but does not stipulate when fair
value can or should be used.

Industry-specific topics
35 Agriculture – IAS 41
Agricultural activity is defined as the managed biological transformation and

harvest of biological assets (living animals and plants) for sale or for
conversion into agricultural produce (harvested product of biological assets)
or into additional biological assets.
All biological assets are measured at fair value less costs to sell, with the
change in the carrying amount reported as part of profit or loss from operating
activities. Agricultural produce harvested from an entity’s biological assets is
measured at fair value less costs to sell at the point of harvest.
Costs to sell include commissions to brokers and dealers, levies by regulatory

agencies and commodity exchanges and transfer taxes and duties. Costs to sell
exclude transport and other costs necessary to get assets to market, as these
are generally reflected in the fair value measurement.
The fair value is measured using an appropriate quoted price where available.
If an active market does not exist for biological assets or harvested
agricultural produce, the following may be used in determining fair value: the
most recent transaction price (provided that there has not been a significant
change in economic circumstances between the date of that transaction and
the balance sheet date); market prices for similar assets, with adjustments to
reflect differences; and sector benchmarks, such as the value of an orchard
expressed per export tray, bushel or hectare and the value of cattle expressed
per kilogram of meat. When any of this information is not available, the entity
uses the present value of the expected net cash flows from the asset
discounted at a current market-determined rate.
One of the most significant changes expected with regard to the fair value
measurement of biological assets as a result of IFRS 13 is the market to
which the entity should look when measuring fair value. IAS 41 currently
requires the use of entity-specific measures when measuring fair value,
while IFRS 13 looks to the principal market for the asset. The fair value
measurement should represent the price in that market (whether that price
is directly observable or estimated using another valuation technique), even

if the price in a different market is potentially more advantageous at the

measurement date. In the absence of a principal market, the entity should
use the price in the most advantageous market for the relevant asset.
36 Extractive industries – IFRS 6, IFRIC 20
IFRS 6 addresses the financial reporting for the exploration for and evaluation
of mineral resources. It does not address other aspects of accounting by
entities engaged in the exploration for and evaluation of mineral reserves
(such as activities before an entity has acquired the legal right to explore or
after the technical feasibility and commercial viability to extract resources
have been demonstrated).
Activities outside the scope of IFRS 6 are accounted for according to the
applicable standards (such as IAS 16, IAS 37 and IAS 38.)
The accounting policy adopted for the recognition of exploration and

evaluation assets should result in information that is relevant and reliable.
As a concession, certain further rules in IAS 8, need not be applied. This
permits companies in this sector to continue, for the time being, to apply
policies that were followed under national GAAP that would not comply with
the requirements of IFRS. The accounting policy may be changed only if the
change makes the financial statements more relevant and no less reliable, or
more reliable and no less relevant – in other words, if the new accounting
policy takes it closer to the requirements in the IASB’s Framework.
Exploration and evaluation assets are initially measured at cost. They are
classified as tangible or intangible assets, according to the nature of the
assets acquired. Management applies that classification consistently. After
recognition, management applies either the cost model or the revaluation
model to the exploration and evaluation assets, based on IAS 16 or
IAS 38, according to nature of the assets. As soon as technical feasibility and
commercial viability are determined, the assets are no longer classified as
exploration and evaluation assets.
The exploration and evaluation assets are tested for impairment when facts
and circumstances suggest that the carrying amounts may not be recovered.

The assets are also tested for impairment before reclassification out of
exploration and evaluation. The impairment is measured, presented and
disclosed according to IAS 36 except that exploration and evaluation assets are
allocated to cash-generating units or groups of cash-generating units no larger
than a segment. Management discloses the accounting policy adopted, as well
as the amount of assets, liabilities, income and expense and investing cash
flows arising from the exploration and evaluation of mineral resources.
Stripping costs in the production phase of a surface mine
IFRIC 20 sets out the accounting for overburden waste removal (stripping)
costs in the production phase of a mine. The interpretation may require
mining entities reporting under IFRS to write off existing stripping assets to
opening retained earnings if the assets cannot be attributed to an identifiable
component of an ore body.
The interpretation applies to all stripping activity as of the effective date of

1 January 2013. An entity that has been expensing all production period
stripping will begin capitalising from the date of adoption of the interpretation.
IFRC 20 also amends IFRS 1. First-time adopters will be allowed to apply the
transition provisions with an effective date of the later
of 1 January 2013 or the transition date.
Stripping costs incurred once a mine is in production often provide benefits for
current production and access to future production. The challenge has always
been how to allocate the benefits and then determine what period costs are
versus an asset that will benefit future periods. The IFRIC was developed to
address current diversity in practice. Some entities have judged all stripping
costs as a cost of production, and some entities capitalise some or all stripping
costs as an asset.
IFRIC 20 applies only to stripping costs that are incurred in surface mining
activity during the production phase of the mine. It does not address
underground mining activity or oil and natural gas activity. Oil sands, where
extraction activity is seen by many as closer to that of mining than traditional
oil and gas extraction, are also outside the scope of the interpretation.

The transition requirements of the interpretation may have a significant

impact on a mining entity that has been using a general capitalisation ratio
to record deferred stripping. Existing asset balances that cannot be attributed
to an identifiable component of the ore body will need to be written off to
retained earnings.

Index
Index by standard and interpretation

Standards Page
IFRS 1 First-time adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards 2
IFRS 2 Share-based payment 26

IFRS 3 Business combinations 44
IFRS 4 Insurance contracts 19
IFRS 5 Non-current assets held for sale and discontinued operations 46
IFRS 6 Exploration for and evaluation of mineral resources 58
IFRS 7 Financial instruments: Disclosures 9
IFRS 8 Operating segments 23
IFRS 9 Financial instruments 9
IFRS 10 Consolidated financial statements 42
IFRS 11 Joint arrangements 50
IFRS 12 Disclosure of interests in other entities 42
IFRS 13 Fair value measurement 56
IAS 1 Presentation of financial statements 3
IAS 2 Inventories 35
IAS 7 Cash flow statements 52
IAS 8 Accounting policies, changes in accounting estimates and errors 7
IAS 10 Events after the balance sheet date 38
IAS 11 Construction contracts 22
IAS 12 Income taxes 27
IAS 16 Property, plant and equipment 31
IAS 17 Leases 34
IAS 18 Revenue 20
IAS 19 Employee benefits 23
IAS 20 Accounting for government grants and disclosure of government assistance 20
IAS 21 The effects of changes in foreign exchange rates 18

Index
Index by standard and interpretation (continued)

Page
IAS 23 Borrowing costs 32
IAS 24 Related-party disclosures 51
IAS 26 Accounting and reporting by retirement benefit plans 55
IAS 27 Consolidated and separate financial statements 41
IAS 28 Investment in associates 48
IAS 29 Financial reporting in hyperinflationary economies 18
IAS 31 Interests in joint ventures 49
IAS 32 Financial instruments: presentation 8
IAS 33 Earnings per share 29
IAS 34 Interim financial reporting 53
IAS 36 Impairment of assets 33
IAS 37 Provisions, contingent liabilities and contingent assets 36
IAS 38 Intangible assets 30
IAS 39 Financial instruments: Recognition and measurement 8
IAS 40 Investment property 32
IAS 41 Agriculture 57
Interpretations
IFRIC 12 Service concession arrangements 54
IFRIC 13 Customer loyalty programmes 21
IFRIC 14 IAS 19 − The limit on a defined benefit asset, minimum funding
requirements and their interaction 25
IFRIC 15 Agreements for the construction of real estate 22
IFRIC 18 Transfer of assets from customers 21, 32
IFRIC 19 Extinguishing financial liabilities with equity instruments 18
IFRIC 20 Stripping costs in the production phase of a surface mine 59

Index
IFRS pocket guide 2012 is designed for the information of readers. While every effort has been made to
ensure accuracy, information contained in this publication may not be comprehensive or may have been
omitted which may be relevant to a particular reader. In particular, this booklet is not intended as a study of
all aspects of International Financial Reporting Standards and does not address the disclosure requirements
for each standard. The booklet is not a substitute for reading the Standards when dealing with points of
doubt or difficulty. No responsibility for loss to any person acting or refraining from acting as a result of any
material in this publication can be accepted by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Recipients should not act on
the basis of this publication without seeking professional advice.
© 2012 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. All rights reserved. In this document, “PwC” refers to
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, which is a member firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited,
each member firm of which is a separate legal entity.

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IFRS pocket guide 2012

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This pocket guide provides a summary of the recognition and measurement

The information in this guide is arranged in six sections:

IFRS pocket guide 2012

Balance sheet and related notes 30

i IFRS pocket guide 2012

Consolidated and separate financial statements 41

24. Consolidated and separate financial statements – IAS 27 41

29. Related-party disclosures – IAS 24 51

35. Agriculture – IAS 41 57

Index by standards and interpretation 61

IFRS pocket guide 2012 ii

Accounting rules and principles

An important recent development is the extent to which IFRS is affected by

2 Accounting principles and applicability of IFRS

IFRSs are intended to be applied by profit-orientated entities. These entities’

1 IFRS pocket guide 2012

3 First-time adoption of IFRS – IFRS 1

IFRS pocket guide 2012 2

The exceptions cover areas in which retrospective application of the IFRS

Comparative information is prepared and presented on the basis of IFRS.

Certain reconciliations from previous GAAP to IFRS are also required.

4 Presentation of financial statements – IAS 1

The objective of financial statements is to provide information that is useful

Financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis unless

There is no prescribed format for the financial statements. However, there

Financial statements disclose corresponding information for the preceding

3 IFRS pocket guide 2012

Statement of financial position (balance sheet)

The statement of financial position presents an entity’s financial position at a

The following items, as a minimum, are presented on the balance sheet:

Statement of comprehensive income

The statement of comprehensive income presents an entity’s performance

IFRS pocket guide 2012 4

Items to be presented in statement of comprehensive income

The following items, as a minimum, are presented in the statement of

Additional line items and sub-headings are presented in this statement

Other comprehensive income

An entity presents each component of other comprehensive income in the

5 IFRS pocket guide 2012

The IASB issued ‘Presentation of items of other comprehensive income

Statement of changes in equity

The following items are presented in the statement of changes in equity:

Statement of cash flows

Cash flow statements are addressed in Section 30 dealing with the

Notes to the financial statements

IFRS pocket guide 2012 6

5 Accounting policies, accounting estimates and errors – IAS 8

Management uses its judgement in developing and applying an accounting

Accounting policies should be applied consistently to similar transactions

Changes in accounting policies

Changes in accounting policies made on adoption of a new standard are

Issue of new/revised standards not yet effective

Standards are normally published in advance of the required implementation

7 IFRS pocket guide 2012

Changes in accounting estimates

An entity recognises prospectively changes in accounting estimates by including

Errors may arise from mistakes and oversights or misinterpretation of

6 Financial instruments – IAS 32, IAS 39, IFRS 7, IFRS 9, IFRIC 19

Objectives and scope

Financial instruments are addressed in these standards: